Weeds used in medicine Alice Henkel 1058 downloads.pdf

Th e P ro j ect G u t en b erg eBo ok of Weed s u sed i n
m ed i ci n e
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will
have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using
this eBook.

Title: Weeds used in medicine

Author: Alice Henkel

Author of introduction, etc.: B. T. Galloway

Release date: September 24, 2025 [eBook #76922]

Language: English

Original publication: Washington: Government printing office, 1904

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76922

Credits: A Marshall and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
generously made available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WEEDS USED
IN MEDICINE ***

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
The new original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.
Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

FARMERS’ BULLETIN No. 188.

WEEDS USED IN MEDICINE.

BY

ALICE HENKEL,

Assistant in Drug and Medicinal Plant Investigations, Botanical Investigations
and Experiments, Bureau of Plant Industry.

WAS H I NGTO N:
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.
1904.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

U. S. Department of Agriculture,
Bureau of Plant Industry,
Office of the Chief,
Washington, D. C., December 10, 1903.

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a paper on Weeds Used in
Medicine, and recommend that it be published as a Farmers’ Bulletin. This
paper was prepared by Miss Alice Henkel, Assistant in Drug and Medicinal
Plant Investigations, and was submitted by the Botanist with a view to
publication.
Respectfully, B. T. Galloway,
Chief of Bureau.
Hon. James Wilson,
Secretary of Agriculture.

CONTENTS.

Page.

Introduction 7
Collection and curing of drugs 7
Roots 8
Barks 9
Leaves and herbs 9
Flowers 10
Seeds 10
Disposal of the drugs 10
Descriptions of plants 10
Burdock 11
Dandelion 13
Docks 15
Yellow dock 15
Broad-leaved dock 16
Yellow-rooted water dock 18
Dock roots 18
Couch grass 19
Pokeweed 20

Foxglove 22
Mullein 24
Lobelia 26
Tansy 27
Gum plant 28
Scaly grindelia 29
Boneset 30
Catnip 31
Hoarhound 32
Blessed thistle 34
Yarrow 35
Canada fleabane 36
Jimson weed 37
Purple thorn-apple 39
Poison hemlock 39
American wormseed 41
Black mustard 42
White mustard 44

ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page.

Fig. 1. Burdock, flowering plant 11
2. Burdock, first year’s growth 12
3. Dandelion 13
4. Dandelion root 14
5. Yellow dock, first year’s growth 15
6. Broad-leaved dock, first year’s growth 16
7. Leaf, fruiting spike, and root of broad-leaved
dock 17
8. Yellow dock root 18
9. Couch grass 19
10. Pokeweed 21
11. Pokeweed, flowering and fruiting branch 22
12. Pokeroot 22
13. Foxglove 23
14. Mullein 25
15. Lobelia 26
16. Tansy 28
17. Gum plant 28
18. Scaly grindelia 29

19. Boneset 30
20. Catnip 32
21. Hoarhound 33
22. Hoarhound, flowering top 34
23. Blessed thistle 35
24. Yarrow 36
25. Canada fleabane 37
26. Jimson weed 38
27. Leaves, flower, and capsules of jimson weed 39
28. Poison hemlock 40
29. American wormseed 41
30. Black mustard 43
31. White mustard 44

B. P. I.—89. B. I. E.—55.

WEEDS USED IN MEDICINE.

INTRODUCTION.
It is a matter of interest, primarily to the farmer, that certain of the well-
known weeds now either generally or locally infesting the country are the
sources of crude drugs at the present time obtained wholly or in part by
importation from abroad. Roots, leaves, and flowers of several of the
species most detrimental in the United States are gathered, prepared, and
cured in Europe, and not only form useful commodities there but supply to
a considerable extent the demands of foreign lands. Hence it appears
probable that while weeds can hardly be made desirable, still in his fight to
exterminate them the farmer may be able to turn some of them to account.
Some of the plants coming within this class are in many States at present
subject to antiweed laws and farmers are required to take measures toward
their extermination. It seems, therefore, desirable to make these pests
sources of profit where possible. In many cases, when weeds have been
dug, the work of handling and curing them is not excessive and can readily
be done by women and children.
The prices paid for crude drugs from these sources are not great and
would rarely tempt anyone to pursue this line of work as a business. Yet, if
in ridding the farm of weeds and thus raising the value of the land the
farmer can at the same time make these pests the source of a small income
instead of a dead loss, something is gained.

In order to help the farmer to obtain the best possible prices for such
products, instructions for collecting and preparing crude drugs derived from
weeds are here briefly given. The collector should observe them carefully.

COLLECTION AND CURING OF DRUGS.
Too much emphasis can not be placed upon the importance of carefully
and thoroughly drying all crude drugs, whether roots, herbs, leaves, barks,
flowers, or seeds. If insufficiently dried, they will heat and become moldy
in shipping, and the collector will find his goods rejected by the drug dealer
and have all his trouble for nothing.
Another important matter to be considered in collecting drugs for market
is freedom from foreign substances. All drugs should be clean and
wholesome looking and contain no admixture of fragments of other plants,
stones, dirt, or other impurities. A bright natural color is extremely desirable
in leaves, herbs, and flowers, and adds much to the salability of the product.
This can be readily brought about by giving careful attention to proper
drying in the shade (not in direct sunlight), and by protection from dew or
rain by placing the drugs under cover at nightfall or whenever necessary.
Roots may be cleaned by washing, but leaves, herbs, and flowers should
never be washed.
It is important also to collect drugs in proper season only. Neglect in this
respect will bring nothing but disappointment to the gatherer, as drugs
collected out of season not only are not acceptable to the dealer on account
of inferior medicinal qualities, but there will also be, in the case of roots, a
greater amount of shrinkage in a root dug during the growing season than
will take place when it is collected after growth has ceased.
The collector should be sure that the plant he is collecting is the right
one. There are many plants that closely resemble one another, yet one may
possess medicinal properties and the other be absolutely useless. Again, a
plant may contain very poisonous principles, and if represented to be
something else, it might of course do untold injury. It would therefore be
best, where any doubt exists, to send a specimen of the entire plant,

including leaves, flowers, and fruits, to a drug dealer or to the nearest State
experiment station for identification.

ROOTS.

Roots should never be collected during the growing season, as at that
time they are deficient in medicinal properties, and they also shrink more in
drying and weigh less than when gathered at full maturity.
The roots of annual plants should be dug just before the flowering period,
and those of biennial or perennial plants after the tops have dried, the
former in the autumn of the first year and the latter in the fall of the second
or third year.
After the roots have been dug the adherent soil should be well shaken
from them, and all foreign particles, such as stones, dirt, roots and parts of
other plants, should be removed. If the roots can not be sufficiently cleared
of soil by shaking, they should be thoroughly washed in clean water. It does
not pay to be careless in this matter. The presence of soil increases the
weight of the roots, but the intending purchaser is not willing to pay for the
weight of the dirt, and grades the uncleaned drug accordingly. It is the
clean, bright-looking root that will bring a good price.
After washing, the roots should be carefully dried. This can best be
accomplished by exposing them to light and air (not direct sunlight) on
racks or shelves, or on clean, well-ventilated barn floors or lofts. They
should be spread out thinly and turned occasionally from day to day until
completely cured. When this point is reached, in perhaps three to six weeks,
the roots will snap readily when bent. During the curing process the roots, if
dried out of doors, should be placed under shelter at night and upon the
approach of rainy weather.
With some roots additional preparation is required, such as slicing and
the removal of fibrous rootlets. Wherever this is necessary mention will be
made of it under the descriptions of the different plants. In general, it may
be said that large roots should always be split or sliced when green in order
to facilitate drying.

BARKS.

The plants considered in this bulletin do not furnish medicinal barks, but
inasmuch as there are certain sections of the country where trees furnishing
such barks are rather abundant, directions for their collection may not be
out of place here.
Barks of trees should be gathered in spring, when the sap begins to flow,
but may also be peeled in winter. In the case of the coarser barks (as elm,
hemlock, poplar, oak, pine, and wild cherry) the outer layer is shaved off
before the bark is removed from the tree, which process is known as
“rossing.” Only the inner bark of these trees is used medicinally. Barks may
also be cured by exposure to sunlight. Moisture must be avoided.

LEAVES AND HERBS.

Leaves and herbs should be collected when the plants are in full flower. It
is very desirable that they retain their bright green color after curing, and
this can be done by careful drying in the shade. In the collection of leaves
the whole plant may be cut and the leaves may be stripped from it, rejecting
the stems as much as possible. In the case of herbs the coarse and large
stems should be rejected and only the flowering tops and more tender stems
and leaves included. All grasses, bits of other plants, and other foreign
substances should be carefully removed, as well as dead, shriveled,
diseased, and discolored specimens.
Both leaves and herbs should be spread out in thin layers on clean floors,
racks or shelves, in the shade but where there is free circulation of air, and
turned frequently until thoroughly dry. Moisture will darken them. The
same precautions that are necessary in curing roots apply here also, so far as
placing them under cover to avoid dew or rain is concerned.

FLOWERS.

Flowers are collected when they first open or immediately after—not
when they are beginning to fade. To preserve the bright natural color as
nearly as possible they should be carefully dried in the shade, in the same
manner as directed for leaves and herbs.

SEEDS.

Seeds should be gathered just as they are ripening, before the seed pods
open, and should be winnowed in order to remove fragments of stems,
leaves, and shriveled specimens.

DISPOSAL OF THE DRUGS.
Samples representative of the lot of drugs to be sold should be sent to the
nearest commission merchant, general store, or drug store, for inspection
and for quotation on the amount of drug that can be furnished, or for
information as to where to send the article. The size of the sample depends,
of course, upon the kind of drug; from 3 to 4 ounces—or, say, at least a
good handful—should be submitted. The package containing the sample
should be plainly marked as regards contents, and the name and address of
the sender given. In writing to the different dealers for information and
prices, it should be stated how large a quantity of a particular drug can be
furnished and how soon this can be supplied, and postage should always be
inclosed for reply. In no case should the entire lot of collected drugs be sent
to dealers without preliminary correspondence. The collector should bear in
mind that freight is an important item, and it is best, therefore, to address
such dealers as are nearest to the place of production. When ready for
shipment, crude drugs may be tightly packed in burlap or gunny sacks, or in
dry, clean barrels.

DESCRIPTIONS OF PLANTS.
The plants included in this bulletin are burdock, dandelion, the docks,
couch grass, and pokeweed (principally root drugs); foxglove, mullein,
lobelia, tansy, gum plant, scaly grindelia, boneset, catnip, hoarhound,
yarrow, fleabane, blessed thistle, jimson weed, and poison hemlock (of
which either the leaves, flowers, herb, or seeds are used in medicine); and
also wormseed, and black and white mustards, of which the seeds only are
used.
Descriptions of these plants follow, together with the common names by
which they are known in different localities, the habitat (or, in other words,
the kinds of places or soils in which they are likely to be found), their
geographical range, information as to the parts to be collected, their uses,
the extent to which they are imported and the prices usually paid by dealers.
The principal uses for which these plants are employed in medicine are
briefly indicated, but none of the drugs mentioned should be taken without
the advice of a physician.
With the exception of the figures for dandelion and mustard, which were
obtained from the Bureau of Statistics of the Department of Commerce and
Labor, the imports are based on estimates furnished by dealers, and the
prices per pound, while serving to give an idea as to what may be expected
for the drugs, will vary from year to year, depending principally upon
supply and demand.
There are of course a large number of plants used in medicine that are not
included in this bulletin, which is intended to cover only such medicinal
plants as may be classed as weeds.

BURDOCK.
Arctium lappa L.

Other common names.—Cockle button, cuckold dock, beggars’ buttons,
hurr-bur, stick button, hardock, and bardane. (Fig. 1.)
Habitat and range.—
Burdock is one of the most
common weeds. It was
introduced from the Old
World, and is common and
often very abundant in the
Eastern and Central States
and in some scattered
localities in the West,
growing along roadsides, in
fields, pastures, and waste
places.
Description.—This is a
coarse, unsightly biennial
weed of the aster family
(Asteraceæ), which
produces during the first
year of its growth only a
rosette of large, thin leaves
(fig. 2) and a long, tapering
root having a diameter of
from one-half to 1 inch.
When full grown it
Fig. 1.—Burdock (Arctium lappa L.). Flowering plant.
measures from 3 to 7 feet
high. The round, fleshy
stem is branched, grooved, and hairy, with very large leaves, even in the
early stages of the growth of the plant, the lower leaves often measuring 18
inches in length. The leaves are alternate, on long, solid, deeply furrowed
leafstalks; thin, roundish or oval, but usually heart-shaped; with even, wavy,
or toothed margins; smooth above, and pale and woolly on the under
surface. The flowers are purple, in small, clustered heads, appearing in the

second year, from July to frost. These flower heads are armed with hooked
tips, and the burs thus formed are a great pest, attaching themselves to
clothing and to the wool and hair of animals. The seed of burdock is
produced in great abundance, one plant bearing as many as 400,000 seeds.
Parts used.—The root alone is recognized in the United States
Pharmacopœia, but there is a limited demand for burdock seed, and the
leaves also are employed. Burdock roots and seeds are used in blood and
skin diseases, and the leaves externally as a cooling poultice for swellings
and ulcers, the latter being employed only in the fresh state.

Fig. 2.—Burdock. First year’s growth.

Burdock has a large taproot, about 12 inches long, fleshy, the outside
blackish-brown or grayish-brown, the inside light in color and spongy in the
center. It is to be collected in the fall of the first year. The roots must be
washed, split lengthwise, and carefully dried. Drying causes the root to lose
about four-fifths of its weight, and to become scaly, and wrinkled
lengthwise. Sometimes the bases of the leafstalks remain at the top of the

root in the form of a small, white, silky tuft. The odor of the root is weak
and unpleasant.
The seeds are oblong, curved, flattened, and angular, dark brown and
sometimes spotted with black, and have no odor. These should be collected
when ripe or nearly so.
Imports and prices.—About 50,000 pounds of lappa or burdock root are
imported annually, and the best root is said to come from Belgium, where
great care is exercised in its collection.
The price of the root ranges from 3 to 8 cents per pound, and that of the
seed from 5 to 10 cents.

DANDELION.
Taraxacum taraxacum (L.) Karst. (Taraxacum officinale Weber.)

Fig. 3.—Dandelion (Taraxacum taraxacum (L.) Karst). (An unusually fibrous
root.)

Other common names.—Blow-ball, cankerwort, doon-head-clock,
fortune-teller, horse gowan, Irish daisy, yellow gowan, one o’clock. (Fig. 3.)

Range and habitat.—Dandelion is distributed as a weed in all civilized
parts of the world, and in this country is naturalized from Europe. With the
exception of the South, it is very abundant throughout the United States in
fields and waste places, and it is especially troublesome in lawns and
meadows.
Description.—The dandelion is so well known
a weed, especially in lawns, that it scarcely
requires a description, almost everyone being
familiar with its rosette of coarsely toothed leaves,
golden-yellow flowers, and round fluffy seed
heads. It is a perennial plant of the chicory family
(Cichoriaceæ), and it may be said to be in flower
throughout almost the entire year. In spring the
young leaves are collected and used for greens or
salad, but the part employed in medicine is the
root. The flowering stem of the dandelion is
usually longer than the smooth, shining green,
coarsely toothed leaves, reaching a height of from
5 to 10 inches. It is erect, smooth, naked, and
hollow, bearing at the summit a solitary yellow
flower head, which opens in the morning and only
in fair weather. The entire plant contains a white,
milky juice.
Part used.—As already stated, the root of
dandelion is used medicinally. It is a large taproot,
sometimes 20 inches long, thick and fleshy, dull-
yellow or brownish on the outside, white inside,
practically without odor, and bitter. (Fig. 4.)
Fig. 4.—Dandelion root, 16
Dandelion is often used as a tonic in diseases of
inches long. the liver and in dyspepsia.
The best time for digging dandelion root is from
July to September, during which time the milky juice becomes thicker and
the bitterness increases. It should be carefully washed and thoroughly dried.
Dandelion roots decrease considerably in size by drying, weighing less than
half as much as the fresh roots and becoming wrinkled lengthwise. The

dried root should not be kept too long, as drying diminishes its medicinal
virtues.
Imports and prices.—During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1903, the
imports of taraxacum or dandelion root into the United States amounted to
115,522 pounds. The price per pound ranges from 4 to 6 cents.

DOCKS.
Rumex species.

Several species of docks possess medicinal properties. Among these are
the yellow dock (Rumex crispus L.), the broad-leaved dock (R. obtusifolius
L.), and the yellow-rooted water dock (R. britannica L.), all more or less
abundant throughout the United States. Other species are also recognized as
possessing value in medicine, but those above mentioned are the kinds
generally collected.

Yellow Dock.
Rumex crispus L.

Other common names.—Curled dock, narrow dock, sour dock. (Fig. 5.)

Fig. 5.—Yellow dock (Rumex crispus L.). First year’s growth.

Range and habitat.—The species most commonly employed in
medicine is the yellow dock, a perennial introduced from Europe and now
found throughout the United States as a troublesome and very persistent
weed in cultivated as well as waste ground, among rubbish heaps, and along
roadsides.
Description.—The deep, spindle-shaped root sends up an erect, angular,
and furrowed stem about 2 to 4 feet high, leafy, branching near the top, and
bearing numerous elongated clusters of inconspicuous flowers. The leaves
are lance-shaped, acute, with the margins strongly waved and crisped. The
lower leaves are obtuse or heart shaped at the base, from 6 to 8 inches in

length, and are borne on long stalks, while those nearer the top are narrower
and shorter, being only 3 to 6 inches long, on short stems or stemless.
From June to August the yellow dock puts forth, interspersed with leaves,
its many long dense clusters of green, drooping groups of inconspicuous
flowers placed in circles around the stem.

Broad-leaved Dock.
Rumex obtusifolius L.

Other common names.—Bitter dock, common dock, blunt-leaved dock,
butter dock. (Fig. 6.)

Fig. 6.—Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius L.). First year’s growth.

Range and habitat.—The range of this very common weed extends
from the New England States to Oregon and south to Florida and Texas; it
occurs in waste places.
Description.— Broad-leaved dock differs from the yellow dock
principally in its more robust habit of growth. It grows to about the same
height, but its stem is stouter, and the leaves, which are wavy along the
margin as in the yellow dock, are much broader and longer. The lower
leaves have long stalks, and are from 6 to 14 inches in length, with heart-
shaped or roundish bases, while the upper ones are from 2 to 6 inches long
and are on short stalks.

Fig. 7.—Leaf, fruiting spike, and root of broad-leaved dock.

The green flowers appear from June to August, and are in rather long,
open clusters, the groups rather loose and far apart. In all of the docks here

mentioned, the three inner divisions of the calyx (outer covering of flower)
in fruiting form a kind of triangular nut, like the grain of buckwheat (to
which family, Polygonaceæ, the docks belong), and one or more of these
divisions bear on the back a small granule. The difference between flower
and fruit is barely distinguishable when seen from a little distance so long
as the fruit is immature, both being green, but later in the season, as the fruit
ripens, the spikes take on a rusty-brown color. (Fig. 7.)

Yellow-rooted Water Dock.
Rumex britannica L.

Habitat and range.—As the
common name indicates, this plant
frequents swampy and wet places
and banks of streams. It is found
from Canada to New Jersey and
Pennsylvania, and westward to
Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa.
Description.—The yellow-
rooted water dock is a taller plant
than either of the docks previously
mentioned, its stout stem
sometimes reaching a height of 6
feet. The leaves at the base of the
plant are borne on long stalks, and
are from 1 to 2 feet in length, but,
as with the other two species, the
leaves toward the top of the plant
are shorter, as are also the stalks
supporting them. The densely
Fig. 8.—Yellow dock root. flowered clusters are not as leafy
as in the preceding species
mentioned. The plant flowers from July to August.

Dock Roots.

The root, which is the part to be collected for medicinal purposes, is very
similar in all of these species of dock (figs. 7 and 8), usually from 8 to 12
inches long, fleshy, often somewhat branched, the outside dark reddish-
brown with a rather thick bark, internally yellowish. It possesses but a very
faint odor and a bitter, astringent taste. The roots should be collected in late
summer or autumn after the fruiting tops have ripened, then washed, split
lengthwise into halves or quarters, and carefully dried.
The docks are largely employed for purifying the blood and as a remedy
in skin diseases.
Imports and prices.—Rumex or dock roots are imported into this
country to the extent of about 125,000 pounds annually. The price ranges
from 2 to 8 cents per pound.

COUCH GRASS.
Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv. (Triticum repens L.)

Other common names.—Dog-grass, quick-grass, quack-grass, quitch-
grass, scutch-grass, twitch-grass, witch-grass, wheat-grass, Chandler’s
grass, creeping wheat-grass, devil’s-grass, durfa-grass, Durfee-grass, Dutch-
grass, Fin’s grass, quake-grass. (Fig. 9.)
Range and habitat.—Couch grass, like so many other pernicious weeds,
was introduced into this country from Europe, and is now a most
troublesome pest in cultivated ground, causing the farmer a loss of
thousands of dollars annually by taking possession of fields and crowding
out valuable crops. It is most abundant from Maine to Maryland, and
westward to Minnesota and Missouri, but is rather sparingly distributed in
the South. It is gaining ground on farms on the Pacific slope.
Description.—This rather coarse grass produces several stems, 1 to 3
feet high, from a long, creeping, jointed rootstock, and bears densely
flowered spike-like heads resembling those of rye or beardless wheat. The
stems are round, smooth, thickened at the joints, and hollow, bearing from
five to seven leaves. These have a long cleft sheath, and are rough on the
upper surface. The heads or spikes are terminal, solitary, compressed, with
two rows of spikelets on a wavy and flattened axis.
Couch grass is one of the most difficult weeds to eradicate, on account of
the long jointed rootstock, each joint of which is capable of producing a
new plant. Every bit of the rootstock must therefore be removed from the
soil or killed in order to eradicate it.
Part used.—The most important part of this grass, not only
agriculturally but also pharmaceutically, is its long, tough rhizome or
rootstock, creeping along underneath the ground and pushing in every
direction. It is pale yellow, smooth, about one-eighth of an inch in diameter,
with joints at intervals of about an inch from which slender branching
rootlets are produced.
One of the best methods of destroying this weed is to plow up the roots
and burn them. They need not be burned, however, but may be saved and
prepared for the drug market. After the rootstocks have been collected and

washed the rootlets should be
removed and the rhizome or
rootstock (not the rootlets) cut into
short pieces about two-fifths of an
inch long. An ordinary feed-cutting
machine may be used for this
purpose. These should then be
dried as suggested in the general
instructions.
In the drug trade this plant is
generally known as dog grass or
triticum. As found in the stores, it
is in the form of small, angular
pieces, about one-eighth to one-
fourth of an inch long, straw
colored, shining, and hollow. These
pieces are odorless but have a
somewhat sweetish taste.
The fluid extract prepared from
dog grass is used in kidney and
bladder troubles.
Imports and prices.—Couch
grass is almost wholly an imported
article, some 250,000 pounds Fig. 9.—Couch grass (Agropyron repens (L.)
coming into this country annually Beauv.).
from Europe. The price is about 3
to 7 cents per pound.

POKEWEED.
Phytolacca americana L. (Phytolacca decandra L.)

Other common names.—Poke, pigeon-berry, garget, scoke, pocan,
coakum, Virginian poke, ink-berry, red-ink-berry, American nightshade,
cancer jalap, redweed. (Fig. 10.)
Range and habitat.—Pokeweed is common in rich, moist soil along
fence rows, margins of fields, and in uncultivated land from the New
England States to Minnesota and south to Florida and Texas. It is native in
this country and naturalized in Europe, where it is regarded as an
ornamental garden plant.
Description.—The reddish purple stems, rich green foliage, and clusters
of white flowers and dark-purple berries give to this plant a rather
handsome appearance. Pokeweed attains a height of from 3 to 9 feet from a
very large perennial root. It is erect, branched, the stems stout, smooth,
green at first, then reddish. On examining a piece of the stem, the pith will
be seen to be divided into disk-shaped pieces, with hollow spaces between
them. The leaves are ovate or ovate-oblong, acute at the apex, smooth,
about 5 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, on short stems. The margins are
without indentation. About July to September the long clusters of whitish
flowers are produced, followed by the green berries, which upon ripening
become a rich dark-purple color. The flower clusters are from 3 to 4 inches
in length and on long stalks, the flowers numerous and borne on reddish
stems. The berries are globular, flattened both at top and bottom, smooth
and shining, and contain ten black seeds imbedded in a rich crimson juice.
(Fig. 11.)

Fig. 10.—Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.).

Parts used.—For medicinal purposes the berries and roots are employed.
Both of these should be collected when the berries are fully mature, which
usually occurs about two months after flowering. The clusters of berries
should be carefully dried in the shade. They are poisonous, have no odor, a
sweetish taste at first, then acrid.

Fig. 11.—Pokeweed, flowering and fruiting branch.

Pokeweed has a very large, fleshy, and poisonous
root, conical in shape and branched. (Fig. 12.) It
should be gathered in the latter part of the fall,
thoroughly cleaned, cut into transverse slices, and
carefully dried. When dry it has a grayish, wrinkled
appearance, breaks with a fibrous fracture, and the
slices show many concentric rings. There is a slight
odor and the taste is sweetish and acrid.
Both the berries and roots are alterative, act upon
the bowels and cause vomiting, and preparations made
from them are used in treating various diseases of the
Fig. 12.—Pokeroot. skin and blood, and in certain cases in relieving pain
and allaying inflammation.
Price.—Phytolacca or pokeroot brings from 2 to 5 cents per pound, and
the dry berries about 5 cents per pound.

FOXGLOVE.
Digitalis purpurea L.

Other common names.—Purple foxglove, thimbles, fairy cap, fairy
fingers, fairy thimbles, fairy bells, dog’s finger, finger flower, lady’s glove,
ladyfingers, lady’s thimble, popdock, flapdock, flopdock, lion’s mouth,
rabbit’s flower, cottagers, throatwort, Scotch mercury. (Fig. 13.)

Fig. 13.—Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.).

Range and habitat.—Foxglove was originally introduced into this
country from Europe as an ornamental garden plant, but has now escaped

from cultivation in a few localities and is assuming the character of a weed.
This is the case in parts of Oregon, Washington, and West Virginia, where
the plant is found in great abundance in dry, sandy soil, along roads and
fence rows, on the borders of timber land, and in small cleared places.
Description.—This is a very handsome plant of the figwort family
(Scrophulariaceæ), biennial, and the first year forms only a rosette of dense
leaves, but in the second year of its growth the simple erect flowering stalk
is produced, attaining a height of from 3 to 4 feet. This is round, indistinctly
angled toward the top, leafy and downy. The leaves are oblong-ovate,
narrowed at the base into long winged stalks; the upper surface of the leaves
is dull-green and wrinkled, while the under side is grayish, with short, soft
hairs and a thick network of prominent veins. The root leaves are rather
large and are borne on long stalks, but as the leaves approach the top of the
plant they become smaller and the leafstalks shorter.
The plant is in flower about June, and the long clusters of numerous
tubular bell-shaped flowers are very showy. The clusters are terminal, and
about 14 inches in length. The flowers are large, about 2 inches long, the
color ranging from white through lavender to purple, the inside of the lower
lobe bearing long, soft, white hairs and crimson spots on a white ground.
Part used.—Leaves of the second year’s growth only are employed, and
these should be collected when about two-thirds of the flowers have
expanded. They should be very carefully dried in the shade and then kept in
closed boxes or barrels so as to keep out all moisture. The greatest care is
necessary in curing, as the leaves soon lose their medicinal properties if not
properly dried.
Preparations made from foxglove are of great value in heart troubles, but
they are poisonous and should never be used except on the advice of a
physician.
Imports and prices.—From 40,000 to 60,000 pounds of digitalis or
foxglove are annually imported into this country from Europe, where the
plant is cultivated. The American-grown product has so far never been used,
but leaves from the wild American plant have been assayed and found to be
equally as good as the European article.
The price per pound ranges from about 6 to 8 cents.

MULLEIN.
Verbascum thapsus L.

Other common names.—Great mullein, velvet or mullein dock, Aaron’s
rod, Adam’s flannel, blanket leaf, bullock’s lungwort, cow’s or clown’s
lungwort, candlewick, feltwort, flannel leaf, old-man’s flannel, hare’s beard,
hedge taper, ice leaf, Jacob’s staff, Jupiter’s staff, lady’s foxglove, Peter’s
staff, shepherd’s club, torches, torchwort, velvet plant. (Fig. 14.)
Range and habitat.—Mullein is a native of Europe, and occurs in this
country as a troublesome weed in fields and pastures, waste places, and
along roadsides from Maine to Minnesota and southward, and it is also
spreading in the far Western States. It produces great quantities of seed, and,
if allowed to persist, will soon stock the ground with seeds which may
retain their vitality and germinate at intervals for a number of years.
Description.—Mullein can be easily recognized by its tall, erect habit of
growth, the white-woolly or felty appearance of the entire plant, and its
spike of golden-yellow flowers. It is a biennial belonging to the figwort
family (Scrophulariaceæ).
This plant has a stout, straight stem, which sometimes grows as tall as 7
feet. The stem and also the leaves are densely hairy, the latter alternate,
sessile (stemless), their margins extending in wings along down the stem.
The rather thick, rough leaves are from 4 to 12 inches in length, oblong,
acute, and densely hairy above and below.
In the first year of its growth only a rosette of downy leaves is produced,
but during the second year the flower stalk with its densely flowered spike
appears. The golden-yellow flowers are produced from June to August.
Parts used.—As the leaves and flowers are to be collected at the time
when the plant is in bloom, the propagation of the plant by the
dissemination of its seed is prevented. The leaves are cured in the usual
manner. They are practically inodorous, and have a somewhat bitter,
mucilaginous taste.
It is very desirable to have the flowers retain their bright yellow color:
they must therefore be thoroughly dried, and then kept free from moisture

in well-stoppered bottles. They
readily absorb moisture and if
allowed to become damp will turn
black. The corolla (petals), with the
adhering stamens only, is dried, the
calyx being rejected. Mullein
flowers have a sweetish, pleasant
odor.
Mullein is used in coughs and
catarrh, to quiet nervous irritation,
and to relieve pain and
inflammation. According to some
authors the dried leaves are often
smoked like tobacco to relieve
nasal catarrh and throat affections.
Imports and prices.—About
5,000 pounds of verbascum or
mullein flowers are annually
imported, chiefly from Germany, in
which country this plant is
cultivated. The leaves are also
imported to a small extent.
The price paid for the leaves
ranges from 2½ to 5 cents per
pound, and that for the flowers
may range from 25 to 75 cents per
pound.

Fig. 14.—Mullein (Verbascum thapsus L.).

LOBELIA.
Lobelia inflata L.

Other common names.—Indian tobacco, wild tobacco, bladder pod,
asthma weed, gagroot, pukeweed, vomitwort, low belia, eyebright.
(Fig. 15.)
Range and habitat.—This poisonous weed occurs nearly everywhere
throughout the United States, being most plentiful east of the Mississippi
River, and thriving in dry, clayey, or siliceous soil in sunny situations along
roadsides, and in old fields and pastures.
Description.—The erect leafy stem of this annual herbaceous plant is
from 1 to 3 feet high, from a fibrous root. It is simple and rough-hairy
below, smooth above, and bears a few short branches. The entire plant
contains an acrid milky juice. It belongs to the bellflower family
(Campanulaceæ).
The pale-green leaves are alternate, from 1 to 2½ inches long, gradually
diminishing in size as they reach the summit of the plant, the lower leaves
being borne on stalks, while the upper ones are stemless. They are thin,
oblong or oval, blunt, irregularly toothed, and almost wavy, with short hairs
on both surfaces.
From July until frost the rather inconspicuous, very small pale-blue
flowers appear. These are very numerous, each one borne in the axils of the
upper leaves on very short stems, all together forming a long, spike-like
head. The lower lip of the flower has three lobes, the upper one two
segments, and from the center of the latter the tube of the flower is cleft to
the base. The seed pods are in the form of inflated capsules, nearly globular,
striated (grooved or marked with parallel lines), and contain very numerous
minute dark-brown seeds.
Parts used.—The leaves and flowering tops are used in medicine, and
there is also a good demand for the seed. The leaves and tops should be
gathered after some of the pods have become inflated, should be dried in
the shade, and when dry kept in covered vessels. The dried leaves and tops
have a rather disagreeable, somewhat sickening odor, and the taste, though
mild at first, soon becomes strongly acrid and nauseous. The seeds are

extremely minute, and each capsule is
said to contain from 450 to 500 seeds.
Lobelia is an expectorant, acts upon
the nervous system and bowels, causes
vomiting, and is poisonous.
Price.—The price paid for the dried
leaves and tops ranges from 3 to 8
cents per pound, and that for the seed
from 15 to 20 cents per pound.

TANSY.
Tanacetum vulgare L.

Other common names.—Bitter buttons, ginger plant, parsley fern,
scented fern. (Fig. 16.)
Range and habitat.—Tansy was originally introduced into this country
as a garden plant from Europe, where it is native. It has now escaped from
cultivation and is found as a weed along waysides and fences in many
places from New England to Minnesota and southward to North Carolina
and Missouri.
Description.—This strong-scented perennial herb belongs to the aster
family (Asteraceæ). The stout, erect stem is from 1½ to 3 feet high,
branching near the top, somewhat reddish, and usually smooth. The general
outline of the leaf is oval, and it is divided nearly to the midrib into about
seven pairs of segments, which, like the terminal one, are again divided for
about two-thirds of the distance to the midvein into smaller lobes having
saw-toothed margins. The entire leaf is about 6 inches in length.
Tansy is in flower from July to September, and the roundish but flat-
topped yellow flower heads are produced in dense terminal clusters.
Parts used.—At the time of flowering the leaves and tops are collected
for medicinal purposes and are dried in the usual manner. The odor of tansy
is strongly aromatic and the taste bitter. In drying, tansy loses about four-
fifths of its weight.
Tansy is employed in derangements of women, and has stimulant and
tonic properties. It is also used for expelling worms. This drug is poisonous
and has been known to produce fatal results.

Fig. 16.—Tansy Fig. 17.—Gum plant
(Tanacetum vulgare L.). (Grindelia robusta Nutt.).

Imports and prices.—About 30,000 pounds of tanacetum or tansy are
imported annually. The price paid per pound ranges from 3 to 6 cents.

GUM PLANT.
Grindelia robusta Nutt.

Range.—The gum plant (fig. 17) occurs in the States west of the Rocky
Mountains.
Description.—The entire plant is covered with a resinous substance,
which gives it a gummy, varnished appearance, whence its common name,
gum plant, is derived.
This perennial of the aster family of plants has an erect habit of growth,
and sends up a round, smooth stem about a foot and a half high, narrowly
grooved and freely branching near the top, each branch terminating in a
large yellow flower. The branches near the flower heads have a slightly
reddish appearance.
The pale-green leaves are about an inch long, of a leathery texture, rather
rigid, coated with resin, and show numerous translucent dots. The leaves are
oblong-spatulate (having a gradually narrowed base below the broader
rounded summit) and are more or less clasping at the base, the lower ones
somewhat saw-toothed.
The yellow flowers are borne singly at the ends of the branches and
measure about three-quarters of an inch across. The involucre (set of small
leaves immediately beneath the flower) is very resinous and consists of
numerous thick, overlapping scales, the tips of which are rolled forward.
Parts used and prices.—The flowering tops and leaves of this and of the
scaly grindelia are collected indiscriminately, and bring from 5 to 12 cents
per pound.
They are used in asthma and similar affections, and externally in cases of
poisoning by poison ivy.

SCALY GRINDELIA.
Grindelia squarrosa (Pursh) Dunal.

Range.—Scaly grindelia
(fig. 18) has a wider distribution
than the gum plant, being quite
common on the plains and prairies
from the Saskatchewan to
Minnesota, south to Texas and
Mexico, and westward to
California.
Description.—This species is
very similar to the gum plant, with
the exception that it is smaller and
does not have the gummy
appearance of the former. The
slender, erect stems are from 1 to 2
feet high and somewhat sparingly
branched near the top. The
branches near the flower heads
appear to be somewhat more
reddish than in the species
previously mentioned. In this
species, also, the leaves are not
borne on stalks, but are somewhat
clasping at the base, and they are
longer (about 2 inches long), not
rigid, thinner, and more
prominently toothed. The flowers Fig. 18.—Scaly grindelia (Grindelia squarrosa
are also very similar to those of the (Pursh) Dunal).
gum plant, but are smaller, the
scales narrower, and the recurved tips longer and more slender.
Parts used.—The leaves and flowering tops are collected with those of
the gum plant, Grindelia robusta.

BONESET.
Eupatorium perfoliatum L.

Fig. 19.—Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum L.).

Other common names.—Thoroughwort, crosswort, wood boneset,
teasel, ague-weed, feverwort, thorough-stem or thorough-wax, vegetable
antimony, sweating plant, Indian sage, wild sage, tearal, wild Isaac.
(Fig. 19.)
Range and habitat.—Boneset delights in moist situations, and is
common as a weed in clayey or sandy soil, in low, wet ground, and along
streams, on the edges of swamps and in thickets from the New England
States west to Nebraska and south to Texas and Florida.
Description.—One of the features which will aid in recognizing this
plant is the peculiar arrangement of the leaves. These are opposite each
other and joined together at the base around the stem, and therefore have
the appearance of a single leaf with the stem passing through the center of
it.
Boneset is a perennial herb of the aster family of plants (Asteraceæ), with
stout, rough, hairy stems 1 to 5 feet high, from a horizontal, crooked root.
The leaves are opposite, united at the base, lance shaped, tapering to a
point, bluntly toothed, rough with prominent veins, wrinkled, dark green on
the upper surface, downy and paler green on the lower surface. Both leaves
together measure from 8 to 14 inches from point to point and 1 to 1½ inches
wide. The flowers are white, tubular, ten to twenty or more united in dense
heads, and the heads are borne in rather crowded flat-topped clusters,
appearing from July to September.
Parts used.—The leaves and flowering tops are the parts used in
medicine, and these should be collected when the plants are in flower,
stripped from the stalk, and carefully dried. They lose about three-fourths of
their weight in drying. The odor is faintly aromatic, the taste bitter and
astringent.
As indicated by the common names “ague-weed” and “feverwort,” this is
a popular remedy in fever and ague. It is used also in colds, dyspepsia,
jaundice, and for toning up the system. In large doses it is an emetic and
cathartic.
Prices.—Eupatorium or boneset leaves and tops bring from 2 to 8 cents
per pound.

CATNIP.
Nepeta cataria L.

Other common names.—Catmint, catrup, cat’s wort, field mint. (
Fig. 20.)
Range and habitat.—This very common weed is naturalized from
Europe, and is found in rather dry soil in waste places and cultivated land,
about old buildings and along fences, from Canada to Minnesota and
southward to Virginia and Arkansas.
Description.—The erect, square stems of this perennial herb of the mint
family (Menthaceæ) grow to a height of 2 to 3 feet, are branched, and
somewhat whitish in appearance from the covering of fine white hairs.
The leaves are opposite and borne on stems, heart shaped or oblong, with
an acute apex, 1 to 2½ inches long, evenly and finely scalloped, green
above, beneath grayish-green with fine white hairs. The many-flowered
clusters appear from June to September, and are borne in thick spikes 1 to 5
inches long at the top of the stems and branches. The flowers are white or
somewhat purple, two-lipped, the upper lip two-cleft, the lower one three-
lobed and sometimes spotted with red, the middle lobe broadest and round-
toothed.
Parts used.—The flowering tops and leaves are to be collected when the
plant is in flower and carefully dried. They have a strong mint-like odor and
a bitter taste. The coarser stems and branches should be rejected.
Catnip is used in derangements of women, as a mild stimulant and tonic,
and has a quieting effect on the nervous system.
Imports and prices.—Cataria or catnip is imported in but small
quantities. The price paid for the flowering tops and leaves is from 2 to 8
cents per pound.

HOARHOUND.
Marrubium vulgare L.

Other common names.—Houndsbene, marvel, marrube. (Fig. 21.)
Range and habitat.—Hoarhound has been naturalized from Europe, and
has escaped from gardens in this country, being found now rather
abundantly in dry sandy or stony soil in waste places, pastures, fields, along
roadsides, and near dwellings, from Maine to South Carolina, Texas, and
westward to California and Oregon. It is very abundant in pastures in
California, Oregon, and in limited areas in Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and
Michigan. In southern California this plant has proved a most troublesome
weed, occurring almost everywhere and growing in such dense masses as to
crowd out all other vegetation. It has spread rapidly over thousands of
acres, taking complete possession of the land and destroying pastures.
Description.—The entire plant has a whitish, woolly appearance, caused
by the dense covering of hairs. It is a perennial plant, and as will be seen
from the characteristic lip-shaped flowers, is a member of the mint family
(Menthaceæ). The whole plant has a rather pleasant, balsamic odor.

Fig. 21.—Hoarhound (Marrubium vulgare L.).

Hoarhound is a bushy, branching herb, with fibrous roots sending up
numerous woolly stems about 1 to 3 feet high, rounded below and four-
angled above. The leaves are opposite each other, 1 to 2 inches long, oval or
nearly round, wrinkled, somewhat blunt at the apex, narrowed or somewhat
heart shaped at the base, with rounded teeth, somewhat hairy and wrinkled
on the upper surface, and prominently veined and very hoary on the lower
surface. The flowers are whitish, two-lipped, the upper lip two-lobed, the
lower three-lobed, and are borne in dense, woolly clusters in the axils of the
leaves. (Fig. 22.) The plant flowers from June to September, and the
characteristic hooked calyx teeth of the mature flower clusters cling to the
wool of sheep like a bur, resulting in the scattering of the seeds.
Parts used.—The leaves and tops are used in medicine. These should be
gathered just before the herb is in flower, rejecting the coarse stalks, and
should be dried in the shade in the usual manner. The balsamic odor
diminishes in drying. The herb has a bitter, persistent taste.
Hoarhound is well known as a remedy for colds, and is also used in
dyspepsia and for expelling worms.

Imports and prices.—A
considerable quantity of
marrubium or hoarhound is
imported, about 125,000 pounds
coming into this country annually.
Three to 8 cents is the price paid
per pound.

Fig. 22.—Hoarhound, flowering top.

BLESSED THISTLE.
Cnicus benedictus L.

Other common names.—Holy thistle, bitter thistle, Our Lady’s thistle,
St. Benedict’s thistle, cursed thistle, spotted thistle. (Fig. 23.)
Range and habitat.—This
weed has been introduced from
Europe and occurs in stony,
uncultivated localities and
waste places in the Southern
States and in California and
Utah.
Description.—Blessed
thistle is an annual plant
belonging to the aster family
(Asteraceæ). The round stems
are erect, about 1 to 2 feet high,
branched, and rather woolly.
The leaves are more or less
hairy, the lower ones borne on
petioles (leaf stems), the upper
ones sessile (stemless) and
clasping the stem. They are
oblong-lanceolate and wavy-
lobed. The terminal yellow
flower heads are surrounded by
scales of a leathery texture,
which are prolonged into long,
hard, branching spines.
Parts used.—The leaves and
tops should be collected when
the plant is in flower, about
June, thoroughly and quickly
Fig. 23.—Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus L.).
dried, and kept in a vessel from

which moisture, light, and air should be excluded. They have a somewhat
disagreeable odor and the taste is very bitter.
Blessed thistle is employed in fevers, dyspepsia, and as a tonic to restore
the appetite.
Imports and prices.—This plant is cultivated in Germany, from which
country it is imported to a limited extent. The price per pound ranges from 8
to 10 cents.

YARROW.
Achillea millefolium L.

Fig. 24.—Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.).

Other common names.—Milfoil, thousand leaf, thousand-leaved clover,
green arrow, gordoloba, nosebleed, bloodwort, carpenter’s grass,
sanguinary, soldiers’ woundwort, old man’s pepper. (Fig. 24.)

Range and habitat.—This herb is a common weed from the New
England States to Missouri and in scattered localities in other parts of the
country, occurring along roadsides, in old fields, pastures, and meadows.
Description.—Yarrow is a perennial belonging to the aster family
(Asteraceæ). It is about 10 to 20 inches in height, its numerous dark-green
feathery leaves divided into very fine crowded parts. The flowers are
produced in abundance from June to September. These are small, white
(sometimes rose-colored), and are crowded in dense flat-topped heads.
The odor of yarrow is strong and aromatic, very similar to that of
chamomile, and the taste is sharp and bitter. When this plant is eaten by
cows its bitter taste and strong odor are imparted to dairy products.
Parts used.—The entire plant is collected when in flower, and is
carefully dried. The coarser stems should be rejected. The plant loses nearly
four-fifths of its weight in drying.
Yarrow is a stimulant tonic, acts upon the bladder, and checks excessive
discharges.
Imports and prices.—This is an imported article, though not brought
into the United States in large quantities. The price of achillea or yarrow
ranges from 2 to 5 cents per pound.

CANADA FLEABANE.
Leptilon canadense (L.) Britton. (Erigeron canadensis L.)

Other common names.—Horseweed, colt’s tail, scabious, prideweed,
butter weed, fireweed, blood-stanch, cow’s tail, bitter weed. (Fig. 25.)
Range and habitat.—This weed is common in
damp, sandy soils in fields and waste places and
along roadsides in many parts of the United States,
especially throughout the northern Mississippi
Valley.
Description.—Canada fleabane is an annual
weed belonging to the aster family (Asteraceæ).
The stem, which is bristly-hairy, or sometimes
smooth, varies greatly in height, according to the
soil, being sometimes only 3 inches high, and in
favorable soil often reaching a height of 10 feet.
The larger plants are branched near the top. The
leaves are usually somewhat hairy, those scattered
along the stem being rather narrow, with unbroken
margins, and the lower ones slightly toothed.
From June to November numerous heads of small
inconspicuous white flowers are produced,
followed by an abundance of seed.
Parts used.—The entire herb is medicinal, and
should be gathered during the flowering period
and carefully dried. It has a faint, agreeable odor
and a somewhat astringent and bitter taste. The Fig. 25.—Canada fleabane
fresh herb on distillation yields a volatile oil (Leptilon canadense (L.)
Britton).
which is sold as oil of fleabane.
The common name “blood stanch” indicates the
use of this plant for arresting hemorrhages from various sources and the
bleeding of wounds. It is useful also in diarrhea and dropsy.
Price.—The price paid for erigeron or flea bane ranges from 6 to 8 cents
per pound.

JIMSON WEED.
Datura stramonium L.

Other common names.—Jamestown weed (from which “jimson” weed
is derived), thorn-apple, stinkweed, stinkwort, devil’s apple, mad-apple,
devil’s trumpet, fireweed, Jamestown lily, dewtry, apple of Peru. (Fig. 26.)

Fig. 26.—Jimson weed (Datura stramonium L.).

Range and habitat.—Jimson weed is exceedingly common in fields and
waste places throughout the entire country with the exception of the North
and West. It is native in the Tropics and widely scattered in nearly all warm
countries.
Description.—This well-known rank and ill-scented poisonous weed is
an annual about 2 to 5 feet in height, and belongs to the potato family
(Solanaceæ). Its yellowish-green stems are stout, leafy, and much forked.
The leaves are large, 3 to 8 inches long, thin, smooth, pointed at the apex
and usually narrowed at the base, irregularly waved and toothed, veiny,
dark green on the upper surface and paler green beneath. The rather large,
showy flowers are produced from May to September. They are white,
funnel shaped, about 3 inches long, and have a heavy odor. The seed pod is

a dry, oval, prickly capsule, which, when quite ripe, bursts open and
discloses four valves, containing numerous black, kidney-shaped seeds.
(Fig. 27.) The seeds are ill-smelling when fresh, as is the entire plant. They
are dull black, about one-sixth of an inch long, flattened, wrinkled, and
marked with small depressions.
Parts used.—Both the leaves and seeds are medicinal. The leaves are
collected at the time of flowering, the entire plant being cut or pulled up and
the leaves stripped and dried in the shade. The unpleasant narcotic odor
diminishes upon drying. The leaves are poisonous, cause dilation of the
pupil of the eye, and are used principally in asthma.
For the collection of the seeds the capsules should be taken from the
plants when they are quite ripe, but still of a green color. The capsules
should then be dried for a few days, when they will burst open and the
seeds can be readily shaken out. These should now be carefully dried. The
seeds like the leaves are poisonous and possess the same properties.
Occasional cases of poisoning of children occur from eating the seeds of
jimson weed and taking the flowers in their mouths.
Imports and prices.—From 100,000 to 150,000 pounds of stramonium
leaves (the name by which they are designated in the drug trade) are
imported into this country annually, and about 10,000 pounds of seeds are
imported.
The leaves will bring from 2½ to 8 cents per pound, and stramonium
seeds from 3 to 7 cents per pound.

Fig. 27.—Leaves, flower, and capsules of jimson weed.

Purple thorn-apple.

The purple thorn-apple, technically known as Datura tatula, is very
similar to the jimson weed, possesses the same properties, and is
distinguished from it merely by its reddish stems and purplish flowers. The
leaves and seeds may be gathered with those of the jimson weed.

POISON HEMLOCK.
Conium maculatum L.

Other common names.—Spotted parsley, St. Bennet’s herb, bad-man’s
oatmeal, heck-how, wode whistle, cashes, bunk, poison parsley, spotted
cowbane. (Fig. 28.)
Range and habitat.—Poison hemlock is rather common in waste places
and along roadsides, principally in the Eastern and Middle States. It has
been naturalized in this country from Europe.
Description.—From the close resemblance of the leaves of this plant to
parsley, it is sometimes mistaken for the latter and fatal cases of poisoning
have occurred. All parts of the plant are exceedingly poisonous.
Poison hemlock belongs to the same family as the parsley, namely, the
Apiaceæ. It is a biennial, about 2 to 6 feet in height, with a smooth, hollow
stem dotted with purple, and large leaves very much like those of parsley.
The numerous small white flowers are borne in rather showy umbels (flat-
topped clusters, with stems from one point) and appear in June and July.
The fruit ripens in August and September. The fruit is grayish-green, ribbed,
about one-eighth of an inch long, ovate, laterally flattened, and smooth.
The entire plant possesses a disagreeable mousy odor, which is especially
noticeable when bruised.
Parts used.—The fruit and leaves are the parts used. The fruit should be
collected while still green but full grown, which in most localities is some
time in August. It should be dried in dark but well ventilated places, and
then stored in tight cans or boxes where it will not be exposed to the action
of light and air.
The poison hemlock leaves should be collected when the plant is in
flower, which will be in the second year of its growth. The stems should be
rejected. Contrary to the usual method of drying leaves and herbs, the
poison hemlock leaves may be quickly dried in the sun and then kept in
tightly closed vessels. The leaves will retain their green color if properly
cured. The odor is still very disagreeable, but not so pronounced as in the
fresh plant.

This very poisonous drug is
used in rheumatism, neuralgia,
asthma, and in cases where the
nervous system is in an excited
condition.
Imports and prices.—The
imports of conium or poison
hemlock seed amount to about
20,000 pounds annually, and
from 10,000 to 20,000 pounds
of the leaves are imported. The
price paid for the seed is about
3 cents per pound, and for the
leaves about 4 cents.

Fig. 28.—Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum L.).

AMERICAN WORMSEED.
Chenopodium ambrosioides L.

Other common names.—Mexican tea, Spanish tea, Jerusalem tea, Jesuit
tea, ambrosia. (Fig. 29.)

Fig. 29.—American wormseed (Chenopodium ambrosioides L.).

Range and habitat.—This strong-scented herb, naturalized in this
country from tropical America, frequents waste places around dwellings

and is found in streets, meadows, pastures, and grain fields from New
England to Florida, and westward to California.
Description.—American wormseed is an annual plant of the goosefoot
family (Chenopodiaceæ), attaining a height of from 2 to 3 feet. The stem is
grooved, usually much branched and leafy, the leaves oblong or oblong
lance-shaped, somewhat acute at the apex, the lower ones 1 to 3 inches long
and wavy-toothed, the numerous upper leaves much smaller and usually
entire. From July to September the flowers are produced, followed
throughout the autumn by the fruits, both of which are green and borne in
crowded leafy spikes. The whole plant has a powerful, disagreeable odor,
due to the essential oil which it contains.
Part used.—The entire leafy part of the plant is sometimes employed for
the distillation of the oil, although the fruit alone is listed in the
Pharmacopœia of the United States. The fruit is distilled for the oil, which it
contains in large quantities.
The fruits are in the form of small grains, about the size of a pin head,
globular but slightly flattened, greenish, and inclosing the small shining
black seeds. They have the same powerful odor as the plant, which does not
diminish when the fruit is dried, and the taste is bitter and pungent.
American wormseed is an anthelmintic, that is, it has the property of
expelling worms.
The fruits of Chenopodium anthelminticum, another species of
wormseed, are collected with those of the species just described. This plant
is very similar to the American wormseed, the fruits being alike, and the
only differences being that in Chenopodium anthelminticum the stem is
slightly taller, from 2½ to 3½ feet high, the leaves are more coarsely
toothed, the flowers are borne in more elongated, usually leafless spikes,
the odor is more pronounced and disagreeable, and the range and
distribution of the plant are more limited.
Wormseed is cultivated to a considerable extent in parts of Maryland,
where the distillation of the plant for the oil is carried on.
Price.—In ordinary seasons the price paid for chenopodium or wormseed
ranges from 6 to 8 cents per pound. The oil distilled from wormseed is at
present selling at $1.50 per pound.

BLACK MUSTARD.
Brassica nigra (L.) Koch. (Sinapis nigra L.)

Other common names.—Brown mustard, red mustard. (Fig. 30.)
Range and habitat.—Black
mustard, introduced from
Europe, is a troublesome weed
in many parts of the United
States. It is common in almost
every State in the Union along
roadsides, in cultivated ground,
and in waste places, being
especially troublesome in grain
fields and pastures. Both black
and white mustards are
cultivated in California.
This plant is a great pest in
southern California, covering
thousands of acres and forming
dense, impenetrable thickets
over 6 feet in height, in which
birds have their nesting places,
and, by eating and excreting
the seeds, help to spread this
pernicious weed.
Description.—The rather
stiff, dark-green, branching
stem of black mustard is from 4
to 6 feet in height. The lower
part of the stems and branches Fig. 30.—Black mustard (Brassica nigra (L.) Koch).
is more or less bristly hairy, but
the upper part is usually
smooth.

The leaves are dark green, somewhat rough, with bristly hairs, and are all
borne on stalks. The lower leaves are lobed, the terminal lobe being the
largest and the two or more lateral ones smaller. The leaves toward the top
of the plant become lance shaped and are slightly toothed.
The flowers of black mustard appear from June to September, and are of
a bright yellow color. They are rather small, scarcely a quarter of an inch in
diameter, the four petals spreading and each consisting of a rounded blade
with a narrow claw. The petals alternate with the pale-green sepals or calyx
lobes. The flowers appear in clusters at the ends of the elongating stems,
followed from July to November by the numerous erect pods crowded
against the stem in dense narrow clusters. The pods are about 1 inch in
length, quadrangular, smooth, and tipped at the apex by the short, persistent
style. The seeds contained in the pods are very numerous, small, about one
twenty-fifth of an inch in diameter, globular, blackish brown, and finely
pitted.
The plant is an annual, and if care is taken to prevent the distribution of
the seeds it is not difficult to exterminate. The seeds possess great vitality,
and may remain in the ground for years before germinating.
Collection of seeds.—The tops may be pulled when most of the pods are
nearly mature, but before they are ready to spring open. They should then
be placed on a clean, dry floor or shelf, allowing the pods to ripen and dry
out, when they will burst open and the seeds can be readily shaken out.
Mustard seed has no odor whatever when collected, not even when it is
powdered in its dry state, but as soon as water is added in grinding it, the
powerful, penetrating mustard odor is developed. The taste is sharp and
pungent.

WHITE MUSTARD.
Sinapis alba L.

Another common name.—Yellow mustard. (Fig. 31.)

Fig. 31.—White mustard (Sinapis alba L.).

Range and habitat.—White mustard is a weed found in cultivated land
along waysides and fence rows, but is not so abundant nor so widely
distributed as the black mustard. It is naturalized in this country from
Europe.
Description.—This plant is very similar to black mustard, but is smaller
(growing only about 1 to 2 feet tall), bright green, but the flowers and seeds
are much larger, and the rough-hairy pods with their long, sickle-shaped

beaks are spreading instead of being pressed against the stem. The flowers
are paler yellow than those of the fore-going species. The divisions of the
leaves reach to the midrib, the leaves are rough-hairy, and the pods bristly.
The seeds are pale yellow and smooth.
Collection and uses of seeds.—The seeds are to be collected in the same
manner as those of black mustard. White mustard seed has no odor in its
entire state, and when water is added in grinding it the odor does not
become so pronounced as in the case of black mustard, neither is the taste
so pungent.
In medicine mustard seeds are used principally in the preparation of
plasters and poultices. They are used also in dyspepsia, and in large doses
act as an emetic.
Imports and prices.—The imports into the United States of black and
white mustard together during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1903,
amounted to 5,302,876 pounds. The price ranges from 3 to 6 cents per
pound for both the black and white mustard seeds.

FARMERS’ BULLETINS.
The following is a list of the Farmers’ Bulletins available for distribution,
showing the number, title, and size in pages of each. Copies will be sent to
any address on application to any Senator, Representative, or Delegate in
Congress, or to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The missing
numbers have been discontinued, being superseded by later bulletins.
16. Leguminous Plants. Pp. 24.
21. Barnyard Manure. Pp. 32.
22. Feeding of Farm Animals. Pp. 32.
24. Hog Cholera and Swine Plague. Pp. 16.
25. Peanuts: Culture and Uses. Pp. 24.
27. Flax for Seed and Fiber. Pp. 16.
28. Weeds: And How to Kill Them. Pp. 32.
29. Souring and Other Changes in Milk. Pp. 23.
30. Grape Diseases on the Pacific Coast. Pp. 15.
31. Alfalfa, or Lucern. Pp. 24.
32. Silos and Silage. Pp. 32.
33. Peach Growing for Market. Pp. 24.
34. Meats: Composition and Cooking. Pp. 29.
35. Potato Culture. Pp. 24.
36. Cotton Seed and Its Products. Pp. 16.
37. Kafir Corn: Culture and Uses. Pp. 12.
38. Spraying for Fruit Diseases. Pp. 12.
39. Onion Culture. Pp. 31.
42. Facts About Milk. Pp. 29.
43. Sewage Disposal on the Farm. Pp. 20.
44. Commercial Fertilizers. Pp. 24.
45. Insects Injurious to Stored Grain. Pp. 24.
46. Irrigation in the Humid Climates. Pp. 27.
47. Insects Affecting the Cotton Plant. Pp. 32.
48. The Manuring of Cotton. Pp. 16.

49. Sheep Feeding. Pp. 21.
50. Sorghum as a Forage Crop. Pp. 20.
51. Standard Varieties of Chickens. Pp. 48.
52. The Sugar Beet. Pp. 48.
53. How to Grow Mushrooms. Pp. 20.
54. Some Common Birds. Pp. 40.
55. The Dairy Herd. Pp. 24.
56. Experiment Station Work—I. Pp. 31.
57. Butter Making on the Farm. Pp. 16.
58. The Soy Bean as Forage Crop. Pp. 24.
59. Bee Keeping. Pp. 32.
60. Methods of Curing Tobacco. Pp. 16.
61. Asparagus Culture. Pp. 40.
62. Marketing Farm Produce. Pp. 28.
63. Care of Milk on the Farm. Pp. 40.
64. Ducks and Geese. Pp. 48.
65. Experiment Station Work—II. Pp. 32.
66. Meadows and Pastures. Pp. 28.
68. The Black Rot of the Cabbage. Pp. 22.
69. Experiment Station Work—III. Pp. 32.
70. Insect Enemies of the Grape. Pp. 23.
71. Essentials in Beef Production. Pp. 24.
72. Cattle Ranges of the Southwest. Pp. 32.
73. Experiment Station Work—IV. Pp. 32.
74. Milk as Food. Pp. 39.
75. The Grain Smuts. Pp. 20.
76. Tomato Growing. Pp. 30.
77. The Liming of Soils. Pp. 19.
78. Experiment Station Work—V. Pp. 32.
79. Experiment Station Work—VI. Pp. 28.
80. The Peach Twig-borer. Pp. 16.
81. Corn Culture in the South. Pp. 24.
82. The Culture of Tobacco. Pp. 24.
83. Tobacco Soils. Pp. 23.
84. Experiment Station Work—VII. Pp. 32.
85. Fish as Food. Pp. 30.
86. Thirty Poisonous Plants. Pp. 32.
87. Experiment Station Work—VIII. Pp. 32.
88. Alkali Lands. Pp. 23.
89. Cowpeas. Pp. 16.

91. Potato Diseases and Treatment. Pp. 12.
92. Experiment Station Work—IX. Pp. 30.
93. Sugar as Food. Pp. 27.
94. The Vegetable Garden. Pp. 24.
95. Good Roads for Farmers. Pp. 47.
96. Raising Sheep for Mutton. Pp. 48.
97. Experiment Station Work—X. Pp. 32.
98. Suggestions to Southern Farmers. Pp. 48.
99. Insect Enemies of Shade Trees. Pp. 30.
100. Hog Raising in the South. Pp. 40.
101. Millets. Pp. 28.
102. Southern Forage Plants. Pp. 48.
103. Experiment Station Work—XI. Pp. 32.
104. Notes on Frost. Pp. 24.
105. Experiment Station Work—XII. Pp. 32.
106. Breeds of Dairy Cattle. Pp. 48.
107. Experiment Station Work—XIII. Pp. 32.
108. Saltbushes. Pp. 20.
109. Farmers’ Reading Courses. Pp. 20.
110. Rice Culture in the United States. Pp. 28.
111. Farmers’ Interest in Good Seed. Pp. 24.
112. Bread and Bread Making. Pp. 39.
113. The Apple and How to Grow it. Pp. 32.
114. Experiment Station Work—XIV. Pp. 28.
115. Hop Culture in California. Pp. 27.
116. Irrigation in Fruit Growing. Pp. 48.
117. Sheep, Hogs, and Horses in the Northwest. Pp. 28.
118. Grape Growing in the South. Pp. 32.
119. Experiment Station Work—XV. Pp. 31.
120. Insects Affecting Tobacco. Pp. 32.
121. Beans, Peas, and other Legumes as Food. Pp. 32.
122. Experiment Station Work—XVI. Pp. 32.
123. Red Clover Seed; Information for Purchasers. Pp. 11.
124. Experiment Station Work—XVII. Pp. 32.
125. Protection of Food Products from Injurious Temperatures. Pp. 26.
126. Practical Suggestions for Farm Buildings. Pp. 48.
127. Important Insecticides. Pp. 42.
128. Eggs and Their Uses as Food. Pp. 32.
129. Sweet Potatoes. Pp. 40.
131. Household Tests for Detection of Oleomargarine and Renovated Butter. Pp. 11.

132. Insect Enemies of Growing Wheat. Pp. 40.
133. Experiment Station Work—XVIII. Pp. 32.
134. Tree Planting in Rural School Grounds. Pp. 38.
135. Sorghum Sirip Manufacture. Pp. 40.
136. Earth Roads. Pp. 24.
137. The Angora Goat. Pp. 48.
138. Irrigation in Field and Garden. Pp. 40.
139. Emmer: A Grain for the Semiarid Regions. Pp. 16.
140. Pineapple Growing. Pp. 48.
141. Poultry Raising on the Farm. Pp. 16.
142. The Nutritive and Economic Value of Food. Pp. 48.
143. The Confirmation of Beef and Dairy Cattle. Pp. 44.
144. Experiment Station Work—XIX. Pp. 32.
145. Carbon Bisulphid as an Insecticide. Pp. 28.
146. Insecticides and Fungicides. Pp. 16.
147. Winter Forage Crops for the South. Pp. 36.
148. Celery Culture. Pp. 32.
149. Experiment Station Work—XX. Pp. 32.
150. Clearing New Land. Pp. 24.
151. Dairying in the South. Pp. 48.
152. Scabies in Cattle. Pp. 24.
153. Orchard Enemies in the Pacific Northwest. Pp. 39.
154. The Fruit Garden: Preparation and Care. Pp. 20.
155. How Insects Affect Health in Rural Districts. Pp. 20.
156. The Home Vineyard. Pp. 24.
157. The Propagation of Plants. Pp. 24.
158. How to Build Small Irrigation Ditches. Pp. 28.
159. Scab in Sheep. Pp. 48.
161. Practical Suggestions for Fruit Growers. Pp. 28.
162. Experiment Station Work—XXI. Pp. 32.
164. Rape as a Forage Crop. Pp. 16.
165. Culture of the Silkworm. Pp. 32.
166. Cheese making on the Farm. Pp. 16.
167. Cassava. Pp. 32.
168. Pearl Millet. Pp. 16.
169. Experiment Station Work—XXII. Pp. 32.
170. Principles of Horse Feeding Pp. 44.
171. The Control of the Codling Moth. Pp. 24.
172. Scale Insects and Mites on Citrus Trees. Pp. 43.
173. Primer of Forestry. Pp. 48.

174. Broom Corn. Pp. 32.
175. Home Manufacture and Use of Unfermented Grape Juice. Pp. 16.
176. Cranberry Culture. Pp. 20.
177. Squab Raising. Pp. 32.
178. Insects Injurious in Cranberry Culture. Pp. 32.
179. Horseshoeing. Pp. 31.
180. Game Laws for 1903. Pp. 56.
181. Pruning. Pp. 39.
182. Poultry as Food. Pp. 40.
183. Meat on the Farm—Butchering, curing, etc.
184. Marketing Live Stock. Pp. 40.
185. Beautifying the Home Grounds.
186. Experiment Station Work—XXIII. Pp. 32.
187. Drainage of Farm Lands.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Illustrations in this eBook have been positioned between paragraphs and adjacent to the
related discussion. In versions of this eBook that support hyperlinks, the page references
in the List of Illustrations lead to the corresponding illustrations.
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful
comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.
Some hyphens in words have been silently removed, some added, when a predominant
preference was found in the original book.
All misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WEEDS USED IN
MEDICINE ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be
renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law
means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the
Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States
without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying
and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the
PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a
registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook,
except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying
royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge
anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is
very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg
eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do
practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by
U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license,
especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

T HE F UL L P ROJE CT GUT E NBE RG™ L I CE NS E
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any
other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you
agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg License
available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing
Project Gutenberg electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg electronic work,
you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the
terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright)
agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement,
you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg
electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy
of or access to a Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to
be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on
or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be
bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can
do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works even without complying
with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a
lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg electronic works if you
follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to
Project Gutenberg electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation”
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual
work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are

located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works
based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are
removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg
mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing
Project Gutenberg works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for
keeping the Project Gutenberg name associated with the work. You can
easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when you
share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a
constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the
laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before
downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating
derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg work.
The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status
of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work on which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied
or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States
and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with
this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in
the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country
where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is derived from
texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice
indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the
work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without
paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a
work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on
the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs
1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted with the
permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply
with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed
by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project
Gutenberg License for all works posted with the permission of the
copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg License
terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any
other work associated with Project Gutenberg.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently
displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or
immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format other than “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the
official Project Gutenberg website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no
additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of
exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work
in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format
must include the full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph
1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing,
copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works unless you comply
with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to
or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works provided that:

• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the
use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method you
already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the
owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has agreed to donate
royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days
following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to
prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly
marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about
donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does
not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You
must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works
possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all
access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.

• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution
of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in
this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project

Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3
below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works
not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™
collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and
the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as,
but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription
errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or
damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that
damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except
for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to
you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE
THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT
EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE
THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY
DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE
TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL,
PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE
NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you
discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you
can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the
defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund.
If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to

you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work
electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you
may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the
problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in
paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR
FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or
the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or
limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable
to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum
disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity
or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works,
harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that
arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause
to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg work, (b)
alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg
work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project
Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic
works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including
obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the

efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of
life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance
they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s goals and ensuring
that the Project Gutenberg collection will remain freely available for
generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for
Project Gutenberg and future generations. To learn more about the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations
can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)
(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of
Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service.
The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541.
Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax
deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s
laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516,
Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and
official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the
number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed
in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment

including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are
particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States.
Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort,
much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these
requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not
received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or
determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit
www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have
not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against
accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us
with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any
statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the
United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods
and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including
checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit:
www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg
electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with
anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg
eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed editions,
all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a

copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in
compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility:
www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg, including how
to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation,
how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email
newsletter to hear about new eBooks.